Robert’s astonishing artwork goes global
An army veteran who paid tribute to those he fought beside has become an internet sensation.
Robert Gillon, from Ayr, shared a photograph of his full back commemorative tattoo on Facebook which has received over 30,000 shares and 2,000 comments from people across the world.
The 39- year- old, who served in the Royal Highland Fusillers ( RHF) from 1998 to 2008, spent over 24 hours under the needle to have his masterpiece completed, which includes an army personnel kneeling down to a memorial with poppies, helicopters, a skull and the poem, written by John Maxwell Edmonds, which says, ‘ when you go home, tell them of us and say for your tomorrow, we gave our today’.
Speaking to the Post, Robert said: “I served for 10 years in the Royal Highland Fusiliers, which then amalgamated to 2 Scots Royal Regiment of Scotland so in my last couple of years I was in 2 Scots.
“I was going to get something on my leg but I decided I wanted it on my back because it’s the past.
“One of my friends had put his similar [ tattoo] online but it was removed for ‘ nudity’ because someone had complained about it.
“So I decided to put mine up and made it public - it then went crazy with shares and comments. I’ve been getting loads of friends requests from it.”
Robert, who is a Transport Manager for a Kilmarnock haulage company, completed three tours during his time in the military. He spent a year in Bosnia, three years in Northern Ireland and some time in Iraq.
He continued: “I originally got this tattoo as a cover up - I had my first tattoo when I was training in Catterick on my shoulder and I got it with a boy called Barry.”
Robert revealed that Barry, one of his army pals featured on his artwork, but was actually blown up and died in conflict.
James Veitch, from Black Thistle Tattoo in Ayr, covered that tattoo with a skull with the RHF Tam O Shanter hackle and gave it a straggly beard - which made it look like Barry.
Robert added: “I was going to do it for all those who had died in the regiment but the amount of boys that had died was too many so I made it for everybody.
“James did a lot of research as I was extremely cautious that it had to have British soldier style combats, rifle and helmet and so on.
“His fantastic research has made it what it is.”